Mechanical wiper assembly



P 3, 1963 R. E. MILLER ETAL 3,102,294

MECHANICAL WIPER ASSEMBLY Filed April 20, 1962 23 INVENTORS:

THOMAS E. KOLANY WILLIAM E. SOONG R.E. MILLER Z. O-JD M 24 M ATTORNEYS- This invention relates to mechanical wiper assemblies such as are suitable for cleaning lenses submerged in alcohol or the like.

Various types of lens cleaning mechanisms are now available. Some of these different types involve the use of a cleaning pad which is rotated about a fixed axis. This particular type of mechanism has the disadvantage that there 'is .a zero relative velocity between the centermost point'of the lens to be cleaned and the rotating wiper. As a result, an unclean spot is likely to be'left at the center of the lens. The present-invention avoids this difficulty by the provision of an improved mechanical wiper assembly which imparts a rotating motion to the lens pad and at the same time forces the pad, as a whole, to move in a predetermined circular path. As a result there is in the lens cleaning operation no point at which zero relative velocity exists between wiper and centermost point of the lens.

The invention will be better understood from-the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope is indicated by the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section of the present mechanical lens wiper assembly,

FIG. 2 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 1 as viewed along the line 22:,

United States Patent FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram relating to the two motions of the cleaning pad, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view which the pad is supported.

The lens wiper assembly of FIG. 1 includes an alcoholproof motor 10 and a ring gear 111 which are fixed to a of the cleaning head in' support 12. The shaft 13 of the motor 10 is fixed to a drive gear -14 which meshes with a driven gear 15. The driven gear -15 has a shaft I16 which is concentric with the ring gear 11. Journaled in the driven gear '15 is a shaft 17. Fixed to one end of the shaft 17 is a follower gear 18 which meshes with the ring gear .11. Mounted at the other end of the shaft 17 is a lens cleaning head 19. A guide rod 20, extending between the shafts 116 and 17, is rotatable about both these shafts. This rod maintains a definite spacing between the two shafts and inv creases the rigidity of the structure.

In the operation of this gear assembly, the motor 10 functions through gears 14, .15, 18 .and 11 to rotate the cleaning head 19 about the shaft 17 as indicated by the arrow 21 of FIG. 3, and to rotate the cleaning head .bodily about the shaft 16 as indicated by the arrow 22.

As a result, there is no'point in the lens cleaning operation at which there is a zero relative velocity between the 3,102,294 Patented Sept. 3, 196 3 centermost point of the lens to be cleaned and lens'cleaning head. 1

FIG. 4 indicates a satisfactory form of lens cleaning head. It includes -a cup-shaped member 23 which has a circumferential groove 24. Resting in this cup shaped member is a preformed body 25 of foam rubber. Extending over this'body is a cheesecloth cover 26 which is tightened over the foam rubber body 25 by a rubber O-ring 217. It is of course apparent that other types of lens cleaning heads may be utilized in connection with the mechanical assembly illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2.

A reason for the use of alcohol-proof motor .10 is the practice of cleaning lenses submerged in alcohol or the like, and the cleaning head 19 may or may not be simila-rly submerged. The elongated bearing 16a or support for shaft 16, provides a support for the head audits drive shaft 17 through the rotatable coupling or guide rod 20, all contributing to a rigidity of support for the head 19. The cheesecloth covering 26 is a well recognized cleaning material that is both soft and absorbent, and the foam rubber support for the cheesecloth is known to be yieldable. A substantially imperforate wall 11a shown in FIG. 1 extends between the top and bottom of the enclosure 12 and carries a bearing for the motor shaft 13 as well as an elongated bearing 16a for shaft 16. This same wall also carries a ring gear 11 and has an olfset portion 1 1'b carrying said elongated bearing providing additional room for said elongated bearing in a direction away from said head 19. This elongated bearing for shaft 16 is generally coaxial with the driven gear 15.

We claim:

A lens wiping assembly comprising a supporting enclosure, a cleaning liquid proof motor on a base of said enclosure, a drive shaft from said motor, a gear on said drive shaft, a substantially imperforate wall extending transversely of said enclosure and through which said drive shaft passes, an elongated bearing supported by said wall, an offset portion of said wall projecting toward said motor, a second shaft supported by said wall and within said elongated bearing and extending in a direction away from said motor, a ring gear within said transverse wall offset portion and secured thereto, a driven gear carried by said second shaft and meshing with said gear on said drive shaft, a shaft journ-alled within said driven gear, said last mentioned shaft carrying a follower gear meshing with said ring gear, a cleaning head extending outside side enclosure and carried by said last mentioned shaft, a guide rod to assist in supporting said last mentioned shaft from said second shaft, said enclosure beyond which said cleaning head extends having a circular opening of a diameter to allow rotation of said cleaning head shaft with rotation of said follower gear and driven gear, said head including a yielda-ble foam rubber pad over which is secured at least one layer of cheesecloth. 

